Who says you can’t go home again?
On Oct. 30, Eastside Golf will open its first flagship in Phipps Plaza in Atlanta. The company’s founders, Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper, met at Morehouse College in Atlanta, where they won a national golf championship together in 2010, and created Eastside Golf, which was named after East Atlanta where Ajanaku was raised.
So it’s fitting that the brand’s first permanent store be in that city. It replaces a pop-up in the center that opened last month.
Cooper, head of business development and partnerships, said: “Atlanta is where Olajuwon and I first connected back in 2008 at Morehouse College, so opening a store here is a full-circle moment. From donation to local community to establishing a physical presence in the city, Atlanta has always been part of our story. But our vision goes beyond retail. We see this store as a platform to build meaningful partnerships, continue to create opportunities within the community, and introduce more people to the game of golf. It’s about building something that has a lasting impact, both culturally and commercially.”
This summer, Centric Brands created a joint venture with Eastside Golf, a streetwear-inspired golf brand that has become known for its Swingman logo — an illustration Ajanaku created of himself in jeans and a sweatshirt sporting a gold chain — and has been worn by NBA players Chris Paul and Jayson Tatum, NFL greats Patrick Mahomes and Victor Cruz, musician DJ Khaled and President Barack Obama, among others.
Until now, Eastside Golf’s distribution strategy centered around independent sneaker stores such as Sneaker Politics; lifestyle retailers including Nordstrom; performance shops such as Golf Galaxy, and green grass stores including Pebble Beach.
Andrew Berg, president of the Luxury, Sports and Emerging Brands division at Centric Brands, said: “Since forming our joint venture, retail has been a key priority in Eastside Golf’s growth strategy. This is an opportunity to bring Eastside’s vision of a modern golf clubhouse to life — a place to experience the brand and bring the community together. Opening a flagship location where the story began makes it especially meaningful.”
The flagship opening will coincide with the brand’s latest Community Day on Nov. 1 at the Charlie Yates Golf Course in Atlanta. The event, for golfers and non-golfers, will include golf instruction, interactive activities, music, food and opportunities to connect with founders Ajanaku and Cooper, community leaders, local organizations, and others.